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Old 04-10-14, 02:21 PM   #11
ecomodded
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Here is a dc watt meter for instance

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Old 04-10-14, 10:56 PM   #12
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The source side is to the battery and the load side is to the battery connections on the charge controller.

I believe that you have it connected backwards. You're source will be the charge controller and the load will be your battery. Connected in this fashion will tell you how much charge you are getting to the battery..

If you plan to monitor your load from the battery to whatever, the unit needs to be installed between the battery (Source) and the item you want to monitor. (Load)

"Source" (in) "Load" (out)

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You can think of the Watt Meter as a set of jumper wires. Connect it in the same way and you can measure what the jumper wires are connected to. Like jumper wires, the Watt Meter is essentially a direct connection between same colored SOURCE and LOAD wires, i.e. both the SOURCE and LOAD leads are electrically “hot” when a battery is connected to either side. Current flows from SOURCE to LOAD. Make sure connections are secure to prevent component damage!

http://www.vshopu.com/item/2118-0803/GTP-wattmeter.pdf
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Old 04-21-14, 01:12 AM   #13
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Is your solar controller an MPPT version? These convert higher voltage input to lower output voltage, but with more amps, which is very useful for charging batteries. Your 100 watt panels make 100 watts at 17 volts, but a fully charged 12 volt battery is only 14.5 volts (float at 13.8v), so, at 14.5 volts x 5 amps (your panels maximum current), your only putting roughly 72 watts out. An MPPT on ebay like this 30A MPPT Solar Panel Regulator Battery Charger Controller 12V/24V With LCD USB | eBay is well worth the cost. I have 1920 watts of solar, with a peak output of 60 volts at 32 amps, charging my 48 volt system. The controller uses the maximum panel voltage (74 volts) to charge the batteries at a much higher current than without. My WattsUp meter has recorded a 28% increase in power extracted. Well worth the money.

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